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Medical Malpractice in Michigan

Medical malpractice occurs when a medical provider – a doctor, hospital, dentist, nurse, nurse’s aid, etc. – provides substandard care to a patient, which results in injury or death. Medical malpractice can occur in many forms, including but not limited to:

Failing to diagnose a patient’s medical condition, misdiagnosis

Prescribing the wrong medication

Failing to perform the correct diagnostic test

A delay in diagnosis

Surgical errors

Post-operative errors and infections

Failing to supervise medical staff members

Anesthesia error

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that there were 181,000 severe injuries attributable to medical negligence in 2003 alone and one study completed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated as many as 98,000 people die every year as a result of preventable medical errors. More recently, a study published in the September 2013 issue of the Journal of Patient Safety suggests that the number of deaths associated with preventable harm in hospitals each year ranges anywhere between 210,000 and 400,000. The numbers are staggering and doctors and hospitals need to be held accountable for these harms that can be prevented.

Simply because there was a poor result, however, does not mean there was malpractice. On occasion, medical malpractice is obvious, but in the majority of cases there are complex medical issues which need to be thoroughly evaluated. It is important to consult with an experienced and qualified law firm to make sure your case is properly investigated. Many times, medical malpractice is not recognized by an attorney because the attorney lacks the expertise or fails to consult with the appropriate medical experts.

The current state of the law is not very favorable to malpractice victims in Michigan. There are specific legal and technical requirements for malpractice lawsuits, unique from any other type of lawsuit filed in Michigan. Because of these nuances in the law, you need an attorney who knows the law and who knows how to handle your specific case.